Four Lessons Analytics Leaders Can Draw from ChatGPT to Fuel Adoption of Analytics Tools
Follow these four steps to grow the adoption and use of BI and analytics tools in your organization.
- By Pete Reilly
- August 30, 2023
Despite the rapid acceleration of digital transformation over the past several years, the adoption of BI and analytics tools has remained quite low. Business users often perceive these tools as an additional burden on top of their already busy and resource-constrained work environment. With only 25% of employees on average actively using these technologies, analytics leaders must find new, creative ways to drive adoption of analytics tools within their organization. The good news? They can learn a trick or two from ChatGPT’s playbook to spark the adoption of analytics platforms among their fellow employees.
A mere five days after its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT had already reached one million users worldwide, beating all previous records by an unprecedented margin. Many users were simply curious to see what all the fuss was about with this new technology or sought to grasp the dynamic artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Others were eager to understand how they could best leverage this new technology to their customers’ advantage.
Here are four tips analytics leaders can learn from ChatGPT’s renowned success:
Tip #1. Keep it straightforward
Part of ChatGPT’s magic is its ease of use and functionality, making it an ideal solution for non-technical users who are often more intimidated by convoluted processes and dashboards. By displaying a few simple use cases and platform capabilities and limitations, users can easily grasp the platform without added complexity.
Analytics leaders can encourage adoption of analytics tools by ensuring their technology is simple and easy to understand right off the bat. Slow down and meet your users at their current level of understanding rather than overloading them with too much information all at once. For instance, start out with a few simple functions and guide users through the process step by step; you’ll encourage open dialogue and questions and create a welcoming environment for users.
Tip #2. Connect existing skill sets
ChatGPT’s user demographic consists primarily of people who already understand the setup. They use search engines daily and are familiar with different chatbots, such as those provided by online customer service portals. Analytics leaders can help their users more easily adapt to their platform by making a connection between the solution and their users’ skill sets to identify what’s most familiar to them. For example, comparing your analytics platform to tools your users regularly work with, such as Microsoft Excel, can help users connect the dots and transfer their skills to the new technology.
Tip #3. Create instant value
Upon account creation, ChatGPT users can immediately begin taking advantage of the tool, receiving value instantaneously. Similarly, analytics leaders can provide their users with a seamless but valuable experience. Develop training sessions that are efficient and effective to keep your audience engaged. Provide a few notable use cases that illustrate how these new tools can enhance users' current processes. This might include demonstrating how much time the platform can save users, allowing them to focus on higher-priority items.
Analytics leaders should also provide resources to help users fully understand the platform on their own while offering time to problem-solve one-on-one. This way, users can feel comfortable asking questions and ensure they are receiving as much value as they can from the platform.
Tip #4. Find an advocate
Once word spread of ChatGPT’s entertainment and ease of use, its user base rapidly expanded. Likewise, analytics leaders can drive the adoption of new technologies by having their most enthusiastic users serve as advocates for the solution. They can share their success stories, highlighting how their work efficiency, decision-making processes, or overall productivity have greatly improved.
By hearing about these tangible benefits from trusted colleagues, non-technical users may feel more inclined and comfortable to explore and embrace the new platform. These advocates can also address potential concerns or reluctance new users may have. They can discuss the hurdles they faced and how they overcame them to help demystify the technology, making it more approachable to non-technical users who may be less familiar with its functions.
Powering the Future Adoption of Analytics
There are many lessons analytics leaders can learn from ChatGPT's near-overnight success they can apply to their own environment. By effectively communicating the value and ease of use of their BI and analytics tools, analytics leaders can empower employees to embrace and unlock the full potential of new technologies. This will help dismantle barriers to BI and analytics adoption and pave the way for a data-driven future.
About the Author
Pete Reilly leads the charge for acquiring customers and then helping them launch AnswerRocket. Prior to AnswerRocket, Pete founded and led Retality, a firm focused on helping companies conceive, build, and introduce new technologies to the market. Before Retality, Pete was a founding team member and SVP/GM of BlueCube Software, where he led the workforce management business unit before the company was sold to RedPrairie. BlueCube was a spin-out from Radiant Systems, where Pete spent eight years driving the development and market introduction of new products at the company. Pete got his start at Accenture working with global 2000 organizations. Pete has a B.S. in computer science/economics from Union College in Schenectady, NY.